Technical Abstract:
Recently, the use of the next generation of nucleic acid sequencing technology (i.e., 454 pyrosequencing, as developed by Roche/454 Life Sciences) has allowed an in-depth look at the uncultivated microorganisms present in complex environmental samples, including samples with agricultural importance. This new technology allows researchers to gather and analyze a large amount of nucleic acid sequence data for a specific organism (genomics) or to compile sequence information for the multiple organisms present in a more complex sample (metagenomics). We have recently applied high-throughput pyrosequencing to prepare a turkey gut RNA virus metagenome and to discover known and novel RNA viruses in the turkey gut, specifically from turkey farms and flocks that have experienced a historically high incidence of enteric signs and performance problems.